Cooking apparatus



Jan. 3, 1939. K. L. ZERR cooxme APPARATUS Filed Aug. 7, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR KARL LEOPOLDZERR Y W x M ATTORNEYS Jan. 3, 1939. K. L. ZERR 2,142,390

COOKING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 7, 1936 11 Sheets-Sheet 2 [O x Y ML [2 74 I00 INVENTOR 8O KARL. LEoPqLD ZERR 2 0 H Z W ATTORNEYS Jan. 3, 1939. K, L. ZERR COOKING APPARATUS Filed Aug. '7, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR KARL LEOPOLD Z ERR BY WW4 ,1: map

ATTORN EYS Jam. 3, 1939.

K. L. ZERR COOKING APPARATUS 4 Sheets- -Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 7, 1936 I INVENTOR KARL LEOPOLD ZERR MAM ATTORNEYS Patented Jan-3,1939 y g v, 2,142,390]

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE coomnov APPARATUS I 7 Karl Leopold Z err, Brooklyn, N. Y., as'signor of one-half to Nelson Littell, New Canaan, Conn.

'Application August '7, 1936, SerialNo. 94,749 9 Claims. (01. 53-5) This invention relates toimproved methods and and the like on demand; to provide apparatus apparatus for cooking meats and the like, and it which is relatively small and compact and correhas particular reference to the cooking of elonspondingly inexpensive to construct andoperate;

, gated objects such as frankfurters for immediate and toprovide an apparatus which is attractiveservice. I in appearance and may be advantageously open.. 5

Various types of apparatus for cooking -frankated in full view of the purchasers of the prodfurters are known to the art, of which machines ucts cooked thereby. Further objects andadvane comprising endless conveyors having a plurality tages of the invention will be made evident by of carrying trays thereon and arranged to carry the following description, taken .in connection the .frankfurters through a heating zone are a with the accompanying drawings which illustrate 10 well known example. Despite the availability of preferred forms of apparatus for practicing the such machines, however, it remains customary to invention. I 1 r cook frankfurters on flat grills which require In the drawings, a a lengthy preheating and cooking as well as con- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a 16 stant attention during the cooking period to prestraightening means showing a frankfurter in vent burning and to secure uniform cooking of straightened position'thereinand a carrying pin the frankfurters. r inserted into the frankfurter;

Among the objectionable features of the cook- Figure2 is a cross section of the same arranges ing machines heretofore employed are that they ment, taken on the line 22 of Figure 1; H

require relatively long flights of conveyors to as- Figure 3 is a longitudinal. vertical section 20 sure satisfactory cooking without burning, and through one form of cooking apparatus; they are therefore bulky. slow and expensive. Figured is atop plan view of=-the apparatus Uniformly and properly cooked products are ,dif- .shown in Figure 3; g ficult to obtain because theheating elements are Figure 5 is a horizontal section taken on the positioned adjacent the sides of the conveyor, and line 5-5 of Figure 3, in the direction ofethe ar-. 25

the tops and bottoms of the frankfurters carried rows; 1 on the trays are subjected to less heat than the Figure 6 is a vertical "cross section on the line sides. Moreover, it is difilcult to turn them dur- 6-6o Figure 3; y ing their travel through, the machine, and they. Figure 7 is a detail showingof thedriving argo'arefree to curl" and crack and lose their tasty rangement as viewed; from the line 1-1 of Fig-.30"

juices. :2 ure 6;

A further practical objection to both of these Figure 8. is a perspective view of a carrying pin, types of apparatus is that excessivequantitiesof or spit, for use with the cooking apparatus; frankfurters must be cooked in advance to en- Figure 9 is a diagrammatic illustration of the p able immediate servingon demand, with the recircuit connecting "the heating elements and 35" suit that the accumulated excess is allowed to bemotor of 1 the apparatus shown in Figuresliv to 7 come cold, or to dry out ona grill while awaiting with a power source; j

orders. It is not uncommon for a dealer to close Figure 10 is a vertical. section through another.

his day's business with a substantial number of a form of cooking apparatus; a 4o unsold cooked irankfurters on hand, which must Figure 11- is a front elevation of the apparatus 40 be discarded at a loss. shown in Figure 10; and

An object of my inventionis'to provide an im- Figure '12 is a section taken an the line l2-l2 proved method and apparatus for cookingv obof Figure 10, in the direction of the arrows. jects such as. frankfurters so that products prop- In the practice of my invention,Ifirst straighten 5 erly and uniformly cooked on all sides may be the object to be cookedand, while holding it in obtained without requiring the attentionof an opstraightenedposition, pierce or impale it with a. erator. I carrying pin, or spit, sothat the object may be Another object isto enable- ;the cooking of carried by thepin and maintained in a predeter-. frankfurters so that cracking thereof and submined position. The pin and object carried therestantial. loss of juices during the cooking operaby are then placed on a support which holds them 50 tion are avoided, and unsanitary handling by the I and feeds them to the cooking apparatus. Any

operator is rendered unnecessary. number of pins may be so positioned. They; are

Other objects ofmyiriventionare to provide H picked up one by one by the cooking apparatus,

improvedapparatus enabling rapid cooking ,and' conveyed througha heating zone of suificient insubstantially immediate service of frankfurters tensity to cook the objects duringtheir passage through this zone, and finally discharged onto a receiving support in condition for use. An important feature of the invention consists in the rotation of the straightened objects carried by these pins during their travel through the heating zone.

It is customary in the serving of products such as frankfurters to enclose thecooked frankfurters within split, elongated rolls. Another feature of an embodiment of my invention consists in the provision of means for supporting and warming or toasting the bread or roll to be used with the cooked irankfurter in the customary fashion, which means is arranged with reference to the cooking apparatus so that the heating elements of the latter provide sufllcient heat to warm or toast the bread or roll during the cooking of the frankfurters.

The preliminary shaping or straightening op- I eration, and the arrangement of the, object, for

example, a frankfurter, on the carrying pin are effected by the use of apparatus such as that shown in Figures 1, 2 and 8 of the drawings.

In Figures 1 and 2, 1 illustrate a suitable straightening means comprising a pair of similar block-like sections I48 and I42 which are connected by hinges I44 to swing togetherso that their faces abut, or to be separated as desired..

ing faces of'the sections are provided with smaller,

semicylindrlcal registering grooves, I54 and I56,

which cooperate to form a small bore of a size toreceive and guide the shank of a carrying pin,

or spit.

Referring particularly to Figures 1 and 8, an

illustrative. form of a suitable carrying pin is hereinafter. I

By the use'of the apparatus above described, preliminary straightening of the frankfurter and arrangement thereof on a carrying pin take place as follows: The sections I40 and I42 of the straightening means are swung open to provide access to the grooves I48 and.I48 therein. A

frankfurter is placed in the groove of one section, and the two sections are then brought together so that the frankfur'ter is required to assume a shape corresponding to the shape of the bore formed bygrooves I and I48. While the i'rankfurter is so held, a-pin 82 is inserted into thesmall'borei'ormed by grooves I54 and I55 and thenceinto the larger. bore and through the frankfurter. The small bore guides the penetrating point 84 oigthe pin so that it accurately" pierces the'frankfurter through the center there of. when the wheel 82 on the pin 82 abuts the ends of the sections I 481an'd I42, the frankfurter is properly "centered and positioned on the pin, whereupon the sections are movingapart and the pin and frankfurter are lifted together thr-refrom by the, handle 88 and thus carried to the cooking apparatus.

The entirestraightening and piercing operations are very simple and require little time. Also, products unlike frankfurters may be similarly shaped or straightened and impaled by appropriate modification of the large bore between the two sections of the straightening means.

The cooking of objects placed on the carrying pins 82 may be effected by the use of apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention as follows:

One form of such apparatus is illustrated in Figures 3 to '7, inclusive. On a base I8 having a bracket I 2 and a standard l4 at each end I support the cooking mechanism, indicative generally at I6, and the toasting rack I8 so that the two are subjected simultaneously to the influence of the heating elements hereinafter described.

The cooking mechanism I8 includes a housing formed by front and rear walls 20 and 22, end walls 24 and 28,and top and bottom walls 28 and 38, these walls being fastened together and to the base III by appropriate. fastening means. Within the housing are enclosed the driving motor 32, connected with-'alreduction gear 34 and a pinion 36, and switch boxes 88 having control knobs and 42 extending through openings in the wall 22 for controlling the motor and heating elements. The motor 32 is connected to a power source by a cable 44 which enters the housing through an opening 48 in the base I8 and bottom wall 30. i

As shown in Figure 6, the'endwall 28 is extended upwardly at 21 beyond top wall 28 and provided with a bore 48 in which one end of the shaft 50 is journalled. Shaft 5Ilextends across the top of wall 28 and has its opposite end-journalled in bore 5| in plate 52 which is secured to wall 28 and is of a size and shape similar to the extended portion 21 of wall 26. Both ends of shaft 58 project beyond their respective journal- .ling members and bothcarry disc-like conveying members 54 and 58, respectively, which fit over threaded ends '58 of the shaft and have openings to receive offset pins 60, integral with the shaft,

so that both discs are required to rotate with the shaft. The discs 54 and' 58 are held in place by 1 appropriate means suchas the capped nuts 82.

Rotation of the disc-like conveying members 54 and 56 is effected, as shown in Figure 7 and the right-hand side of Figure 6, by the pinion 36, which mesheswith a gear wheel 54 fixed to member 56 by a plurality of fastening elements 66. These fastening elements are elongated to accommodate tubular spacers 88, which hold the wheel 64 and member 58 in spaced relation. Top wall 28 and end wall 24 of the housing are cut away so that the gear wheel 64 may extend into the housing in operative engagement with pinion 36, while the conveying member remains in full opening slots 10 adapted to receive and retain the carrying pins 82 with the frankfurters or other objects to be cooked impaled on the pins. The

conveying memters are arranged on shaft 58 as viewed in Figure 3, the backward side of each slot is provided with a projecting lip I2 for a purpose to be described below.

Extending backwardly and upwardly from the rear side of the apparatus is a pair of parallel feeding arms I4 and I6 which are secured, respectively, to a bracket" between plate 52 and conveying member 56, and to the upwardly extended portion 21 of wall .26. To the arm I4 is fastened a positioning member 80. The arm ,14 is ar anged adjacent the inside of the conveying member '56,

while the member is spaced from arm 14 adjacent said carrying member and lies outside the.

same, as shown In Figure 5.

These feeding arms '14 and 16 hold one or more frankfurter carrying pins 82 with frankfurters impaled thereon and feed the same one by one to the conveying members, which pick them up, convey them through a heating zone where theyare cooked, and then discharge them onto areceiving support. I

The carrying pins 82 are of sufficient length to more than span the arms" and 16 and .tobe icked up and carried by pairs of registering slots 10 in the conveying members 54 and 56, but short enough to pass lengthwise between the standards I4. When placed on the arms 14 and Hi with the bight portions 94 expanding arm 74 and'positioning member 80 the pins gravitate toward the conveying members 54 and 56 and are ma ntainedin pr per position to be'picked up successively by a air of lips 12 on the respective conveying memb rs and retained by apair of slots 10 communieating with said lips as the conveying members travel to the front side of the apparatus.

When the carrying pins'82 are picked up by the conveying members as above described. the teeth of the wheels 92 thereon engage in erforations 96 in a fixed. arcuate stri 98. The strip 98 is secured to the top wall of the housing adjacent the front and rear sides thereof and lies next to but outside the plate 52. The effect of this arrangement-is to cause rotation of the pins 82 and the frankfurters thereon as they are .1011- veved through the heating zone.

When the pins carried by members 54 and 56 reach the forward side of the apparatus the leading sides of the slots 70 move progressively downward, and the pins ultimately drop from the slots onto the aforementioned receiving support. which consists of a pair of receiving members I 00 and I02 attached to the housing adjacent the side walls thereof and spacedto support both ends of the pins while suspending the frankfurters therebetween.

While I have illustrated the slots I0 as being of a simple U-shape, it is apparent that they may be formed in any manner capable of pickingup the pins 02, carrying them through the heating material, and their ends and intermediate portions are supported on slabs I08, I I 0 and II 2 of similar .material, such as asbestos. The entire assembly is connected to the upwardly extended frame I24 beneath the rods I26.

portion 2'! of wall 26 and to the plate 52 by tie rods H4 and H6. f

Below the coils I04, between slabs I08, H0 and H2 and the shaft 50, I provide a plate-like reflector member II8 which is removably held a in place by a'pair of channeled members I20 and I22. These channel members are open attheir front ends to allow withdrawal of member II 8 for cleaning purposes. f

The reflector member II8 performs two functions. 'It reflects heat from the coils I 04 upwardly onto the frankfurters carried by pins 82 and onto the toasting rack I8 at the top of the standards I4, It also catches any juices which drip from the cooking frankfurter and prevents soiling of the shaft 50 and the top wall 28 of the housing thereby, v

Referring to Figure 9 of the drawings, the coils I04 are connected in series and controlled by switch member 42. The motor 32 is connected in the same circuit as the coils and. is controlled by a second switch 40. By the use of this arrangement, the coils may be energized independently of'the motor by closing switch 42; hence they may be brought to a suitable heat before starting the'conveyor. Upon the closing'of switch 40 the motor also is energized, which results in movement of the conveyor.

As an additional feature of the described em; bodiment -I subject the bread or rolls to be used with the cookedobjects to the influence of the heat in theheating zone during cooking. of the objects. This is. accomplished by the .use of a posed brackets I20 and set screws I22. The rack may be of any construction which will hold the bread or rolls while permitting the'radiation-of heat thereto. from the heating elements I04. In

- I toasting rack I8, which fits .over and is adjustably secured to the standards I4 by oppositely dis-- the illustrated form, I use an open rectangular frame I24 across the top of which are a plurality of spaced supporting rods I26 adapted to support the bread or roll, indicated diagrammatically at I28 in Figure 3, with a side to be-warmed or toasted facing downwardly, Several baffle members are pivotally attached to the end walls of These baffle members are manually adjustable by varying their inclination with respect to horizontal to vary the degree of heating of the bread supported by the rack.

From the foregoing description it-is apparent that the cooking apparatus illustrated in Figures 3 to '7, inclusive, embodies a number of improved features. In using it the frankiurters or other objects are maintained in a proper, straightened operation.

position throughout the cooking Thus uniformity of cooking is promoted, and the objects are prevented from curling and cracking under the influence of the heatin the heating zone, so that loss of valuable juices is avoided;

Rotation of the objects during their passage through the heating zone causes them to be practice of the method'of my invention requires no contactwith the frankfurters by the hands of the operator and the cooking operation requires no attention by the operator to prevent burning and to assure perfectly and uniformly cooked products.

It is apparent that the apparatus-herein described is merely illustrative, and that various modifications thereof are comprehended within the spirit and scope of the invention.

In Figures 10 to 12 inclusive, I illustrate an- I frankfurters thereon suspended between the.

guides. Each guide comprises a backwardly and downwardly inclined edge '2I8 upon which the pins 82 are placed to be fed into the cabinet, and a forwardly and downwardly inclined edge 228 which receives the pins from a conveyor and feeds them, with cooked frankfurters thereon, to'

the front of the cabinet. The front ofthe cabif' net adjacent the bottom thereof is formed with" a portion projecting across the front ends of edges 228 to limit forward movement of pins carried by said edges, asindicated at 222. The conveying means'for the pins 82, in this embodiment,'is of theendless chain type. Two chains 224 and 228 are arranged in spaced relation on pairs of sprockets 228 and 288. The sprockets 228 are fixed to a shaft 282 in the lower part of the cabinet. The sprockets 238 are mounted for rotation on a shaft 234, located adjacent the top of the cabinet. The arrangement of sprockets and chains is such that the conveyors travel in an inclined path substantially parallel to the inclined front wall N8 of the cabinet. I

Movement of the conveyor chains is effected by a motor 238 which is mounted in the cabinet behindthe chains, on angle brackets 238, and connected to drive the shaft 232 through worm 248 and gear 242. By this means shaft 232 is driven clockwise as viewed in Figure 10; hence the sprockets also rotate clockwise, and chains 224 and 228 travel upwardly along the front sides of the sprockets and downwardly along the back sides thereof. Each conveyor chain is provided with a plurality of spaced pin-carrying members 244 which are fixed to the chains at their inner sides as shown in Figure 12. The members 244 on the two chains are in horizontal alignment. They are formed to extend beyond the plane of the chains, and they include outwardly opening mouths 248 having upper and lower lips 248 and 258.

It is apparent that movement of the conveyor chains 224 and 228 causes successive pairs of the pin-carrying members 244 thereon to pass by the feeding edges 2l8 of guides 2i8, and that when carrying pins 82 are present at the backward parts of edges 2" they are successively engaged by lips 258 of said members 244 and picked up by said members to be conveyed through the cabinet. The lips 258 of members 244 support the pins during their upward travel along the front sides of the sprockets, and as the chains turn over sprockets 288 to begin their downward travel, the pins 82 are supported by lips 248.

When the members 244 reach the lower sprocket,

however, they are again turned, and the pins carried thereby are'discharged onto the receiving edges 228'of.guides 2.

During their upward travel through a heating,

,tance from chain 224 to receive the teeth of wheels 92 on the pins.

The pins 82 are positioned-on guiding edges 2 so that their toothed wheels 92 will be caused to register with the perforated strip 252 by a horizontal slot 254 in the side wall 288. This slot receives the bight portions 84 of the pins so that guards 88 remain outside the wall 288 and members 88 inside this wall: hence the wall 288 acts to-position the pins for rotation during their upward travel.

20 The perforated strip 282 extends parallel to of electrical heating elements such as those shown in Figures 3 to 6. The heating zone is located in the front of the cabinet, although other arrangements would be satisfactory. Closely adjacent to the frankfurters carried by the fdrward sides of the conveyor chains 1 place a wire screen 288, upon which a plurality of flames 282 from orifices in gas-conducting pipes 284 are directed. Pipes 284 are located between the screen 288 and the front wall 2 I 8 of the cabinet, and they communicate with a header, valve, and supply pipe in a conventional manner. The front wall M8 is provided with a layer of heat insulating material 288, in order to conserve heat generated by the .gas burners and to prevent excessive heating of the atmosphere surrounding the cabinet.

when the burners are ignited and flames 282 play upon the screen 288, the latter quickly becomes red hot, and an intense heating zone is created adjacent thereto. The screen blocks the flames 282, however, and prevents them from burningor soiling objects carried adjacent thereto by the conveying means. Accordingly, it is possible, by use of this construction, to pass the frankfurters close to the screen 288 and to subject them to intense heating from gas flames, while continuous rotation of the frankfurters insures uniform cooking and prevents burning.

I provide for the catching of any juices'which may drip from the frankfurters during the cooking operation by the use of an inclined plate 218 behind the front flight'oi' the conveyor chains and extending across the cabinet. The plate 218 leads to a drawer-like receptacle 212, between the flights of the chains, into which juicesdripping onto plate 218 are directed by the plate. Receptacle 212 rests on guides 214 and is removable endwise from the cabinet, as indicated at 218 in Figure 11, for cleaning purposes.

As in the form of apparatus first described, plate 218 preferably is provided with a reflecting surface to reflect heat radiated thereto backwardly onto the objects carried by the conveying means. This also prevents wasteful dissipation of heat from the screen 288 and avoids overheating of the remote parts of the cabinet.

While I have illustrated my invention by reference to specific forms of apparatus suitable for practicing the same, it is apparent that the invention is not limited thereto and that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, which should be construed broadly within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a machine for cooking objects such as frankfurters and the like, heating means, individual, freely movable carrying means for each object, means to receive and hold a plurality of said carrying means, conveying means operative to pick up said carrying means one by one from said receiving and holding means and to convey the same through a heating zone adjacent said heating means, and means whereby said carrying means and thereby the objects thereon away from said heating means are discharged from said conveying means after the former have passed through said heating zone.

2. Meat cooking apparatus comprising a support, an endless conveyer mounted on said support, means for holding meat carrying pins adjacent said conveyer, means on said conveyer operative to pick up pins from said holding means one by one and to carry the same with the conveyer. a heating zone in the path of movement of pins on said conveyer, heating means for heating said zone, means at another point adjacent said conveyer for receiving said pins from said conveyer, and means whereby the pins carried by said conveyer are released and dropped onto said receiving means after passage through said heating zone.

3. Meat cooking apparatus comprising a support, an endless conveyer mounted on said support, means for feeding meat carrying pins adja cent said conveyer, means on said conveyer operative to pick up pins from said feeding means one by one and to carry the same with the conveyer, a heating zone in the path of movement of pins on said conveyer, means operative by the movement of pins on said conveyer to cause rotation of said pins during movement through said heating zone, and means to release said pins from the conveyer after passage through said zone.

4. Meat cooking apparatus comprising a support, an endless conveyer mounted on said support, means for feeding meat carrying pins adjacent said conveyer, means on said conveyer operative to pick up pins from said feeding means, one by one and to carry the same with the conveyer, a heating zone in the path of movement of pins on said conveyer, means operative by the movement of pins on said conveyer to cause r0- tation of said pins during movement through said heating zone, means to release said pins from the conveyer after passage through said zone and means in said heating zone for holding and heating bread or the like during th" passage of said pins through said zone.

5. In combination, a support, spaced standards thereon, an endless conveyer between said standards, feeding means adjacent one'side of said conveyer ijor feeding carrying pins to said conveyer, means on said conveyer to pick up said carrying means one by one, receiving means adjacent another side of said conveyer for receiving said pins therefrom, heating means between said feeding means and said receiving means for creating a heat-lg zone in the path of pins conveyed by said conveyer, means operative by movement of said conveyer to rotate pins conveyed thereby during passage of said pins through said heating zone, and a rack supported on said standards above said conveyer and in the zone of heat from said heating means.

6. In combination, a support, spaced standards thereon, an endless conveyer between said standards, feeding means adjacent one side of said conveyer for feeding carrying pins to said conveyer, means on said conveyer to pick up said carrying means one by one, receiving means adjacent another side of said conveyer for receiving said pins therefrom, heating means between said feeding-means and said receiving means for creating a heating zone in the path of pins conveyed by said conveyer, means operative by movement of said conveyer to rotate pins conveyed thereby during passage of said pins through said heating zone, and a rack supported on said standards above said conveyer and in the zone of heat from said heating means, said rack including adjustable shutters whereby the amount of heat passing therethrough may be varied.

'7. In a cooking apparatus, heating means for creating a heating zone and a pair of spaced conveying members movable adjacent thereto, each of said members having peripheral, outwardly opening slots thereon, the slots of said members being in horizontal alignment, spaced supports adjacent said members for holding elongated carrying elements, said supports inclined toward said members whereby said elements gravitate to the conveying members and said slots having projected lips whereby successively to pick up said elements upon movement of the conveying members past said supports and to convey them through said heating zone.

8. In a cooking apparatus, a pair of spaced conveying members having peripheral, outwardly opening slots thei' am, the slots of said members being in horizontal alignment, spaced supports adjacent said members for holding elongated carrying elements, said supports inclined toward said members whereby said elements gravitate to the conveying members, said slots having projected lips whereby successively to pick up said elements upon movement of the conveying members past said supports, and means adjacent one of said conveying members engaging means on said carrying elements whereby movement of said members causes rotation of the carrying elements conveyed thereon.

9. In apparatus for cooking frankfurters and the like, conveyer means including a pair of spaced conveying members, a pair of supporting and feeding arms adjacent said conveying members to hold a plurality of ele-gated carrying elements with frankiurters thereon between said arms and to food the same to said members, means on said members to pick up said elements one by one from said supporting and feeding arms and to convey the same through a heating zone, a stationary perforated strip adjacent one of said members and entending longitudinally of the path of travel of said members, and said carrying elements each having a toothed wheel thereon, the teeth thereof being in registry with the perforations of said perforated strip whenv said elements are conveyed by said members, whereby movement c: said members causes rotation of said elements and of the frankfurters carried thereby.

KARL LEOPOLD ZERR. 

